| abstract | - Densetsu's descent into the brutal Chaos Labyrinth began with a very successful diplomatic mission on behalf of the whole Land of Fire to the Land of Tea, where the middle aged Uchiha managed to settle a dispute between the Land of Tea and Land of Fire over some trade issues. Having patched up this relationship and regained an important trading ally, an important message from a messenger toad alerted Densetsu of the Code Red; a mysterious duo had attacked Konohagakure during the Chūnin Exams and kidnapped Naruto Uzumaki, the Seventh Hokage. Responding to the message, Densetsu was able to arrive at his home village immediately, partaking in an emergency meeting with the village elders and other Kage to deliberate the matter. A decision was made for the Kage along with Sasuke Uchiha and Boruto Uchiha, son of the Hokage. It took an entire week before the shinobi world suspected the worst. Nobody returned from the trip. Though the Council of Elders had been acting as the leadership of Konoha, just like other villages, they too decided to elect an interim Hokage in the meantime, while discovering the location of the missing Kage, as well as how to rescue them. Densetsu asserted his own vast influence during the Council, voicing that a famed member of the council for many decades, his friend Shinzui Uchiha, should be named as acting Hokage. Densetsu rightfully convinced the old men about Shinzui's wisdom and prowess in battle, seeing that he was an immortal who had seen the most wars among them. As such, Shinzui was elected interim Hokage, with him in turn naming Densetsu as his Chief of Military Affairs. While Shinzui orchestrated a playful party to celebrate his temporary ascension and the search for the Kage continued, disturbing news spread through the wild celebration. The Cult of Jashin had been gathering followers, and recently a village north of Kusagakure had been razed to the ground brutally, with evidence of cult practices. Densetsu, having dealt with the Jashinists many times in his past noted this, but with the agreement of his peers, let it step aside out of priority to find Naruto. The Jashinists continued to ransack and decimate small villages, as Kirigakure decided to act first, being closest to the threat. When their taskforce of 30 were annihilated, Densetsu and his colleagues in the intelligence division were given the additional headache of keeping up with the rising threat, with Densetsu requesting the help of his old friend and former teammate of the infamous S-rank Trio, Akuhei Iwao to dispatch the suspected renegade group of Jashin. Akuhei seemed successful at first, reporting to Kirigakure and Konohagakure that the groups were indeed small forces of Jashinists, without even immortality. Leaving Iwao to the task of eliminating his once fellow Jashinists, Konoha once again turned their attention elsewhere. And then Iwao stopped transmitting information. A cryptic bloodstained note made it to the office of Shinzui, with the words entire army assembled written upon it. A day later, the mutilated, grotesque body of Akuhei Iwao was found, strung up against the wall of Kirigakure. Shocked beyond measure at the death of a friend he considered much more powerful than himself, Densetsu was able to deduce from Akuhei's final message that the Jashinists Akuhei had hunted were merely pawns, and that the truth was much worse. An entire army of Jashin had possibly been gathered, based on Akuhei's death note. However even as Densetsu relayed the message to the intelligence division to be shared with the nations, he was too late. Iwagakure was attacked by massive force of Jashinists. A resounding victory was achieved by the Jashinists, slaughtering 3/4's of Iwagakure's population and destroying the entire village. The shocked remainder of the Five Nations could only watch on, as a fearsome leadership of Jashin gloated about their victory, led apparently by a purple haired woman. Contemplating the death of his friend and the fall of Iwagakure, Densetsu's rage and confusion gave way to grim determination as the search for the Kage began to falter at the rise of this new threat. Intent on revenge and justice, Densetsu decided to step back into the shinobi world as the Human Torch, much to the displeasure of his wife, Hitomi. Though his decision split his family, Densetsu continued nevertheless, swearing to protect Konoha from this evil. On a diplomatic front, even Densetsu's charm could not avoid the fallout of the Iwagakure slaughter. The nations turned on each other at the table, as accusations were hurled, and fingers were pointed. Rumours circulated that Sunagakure under Zenjou Kaguya were actually aligned with the Jashinists, as stated by a controversial leaked set of documents. The infighting escalated and the nations tore apart on that day, with Sunagakure closing itself off, Kumogakure mounting an aggressive strategy, Konoha opting for a more defensive and subtle approach and Kirigakure focusing on the safety of its citizens rather than teamwork. Thus began the rift between the Great Five, as the Jashinists struck again. Shockwaves rippled through the world as Densetsu awoke to news in the middle of the night that Kumogakure was under siege. It didn't take long for Kumogakure to fall. A massive attack. Massive losses. Tens of thousands dead. Thousands displaced. Kumogakure on its knees. The violent nature of the Jashinists caused further friction as it fuelled Densetsu's fury and stoked his wife and son, Juro, who both vehemently protested against Densetsu taking the fight to them. In the next, and final meeting between the remaining nations, the Jashinists attacked the Meeting. Densetsu engaged in combat with the cultists, discovering that they had bred an army of immortals; though with sufficient Firepower in terms of the Fire Release, he was able to overcome them. With this final failure in negotiations and sight of the Jashinists' true power, the Nations secluded each other, choosing to deal with the threats in their own ways. Densetsu and Shinzui both agreed that their utmost priority would be to seek the elimination of the Jashinist leadership without confronting he immortal army if possible: ending a potentially catastrophic war in its earliest stages. For this, both the veteran shinobi realised that they'd somehow have to hunt down and incapacitate the mysterious purple haired woman.
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